The present invention relates to safety rail systems, and in preferred aspects to latch assemblies for gates of safety rail systems which include fewer components and are easier to use and manufacture.
Barricades are often required on a temporary (or removable) basis. Examples include but are not limited to at construction sites such as to keep workers from falling off an edge of a roof or a level, falling down uncompleted stairwells, and the like, to keep the general public out of the construction site, and the like. Other uses include limiting access such as at festivals, sporting events, and the like. Safety rail systems have become a favored manner of providing such barricades in many applications.
Such safety rail systems utilize railings formed of tubular stock and having horizontal rails extending between vertical posts. The advantages of such railings are that they can be mass produced in multiple sizes very economically. The railings of the desired size can then be selected according to the particular application. In the application, the lower ends of the posts of the railings are slid into tubular sockets or receptors. However, it can be appreciated that passage through the barricades is required at least in some instances. Towards that end, gates are provided which can be opened and closed as desired. Thus, latch assemblies are needed which allow the gates to be opened when in an unlatched position but which prevent accidental or unintentional opening of the gates when in a latched position.
Thus, a need exists for a latch assembly for a safety rail system which includes fewer components and is easier to use and manufacture.